Unloading attachment for trucks



Patented Dec., 1, 1942 jUNlTEfDf STATES cared ,orric'l: 1

h V 1a I n v. J g.- 9. .7 Q j s I U Loanme'errAcn ENr Foal-muons: sp-aiming ry. haste, Minneapolis, I Application Dec'e'mber 12, 1940-, Serial No. $9,768

My invention relates particularly driven trucks and provides a delivery or unloading attachment therefor. I I

Motor-driven trucks equipped with my so-called unloading device are adapted for thefdelivery and'discharge of coal and'various like materials. The attachment involves an endless conveyor adapted'to bedriven from the transmission mechanismorother connection to the truck motor througha power tak-ofi shaft such as frequently provided in connection with such trucks.

The objects ofthe invention briefly stated are to motortheprovisionof a comparatively light unloadingv attachment that may be made at comparatively small cost; that may be easily handled and quickly-attached to or detachedfrom the truck; and which, in operation, is highly efiicient both forunloading and loading, and which is'capable of being readily moved or adjusted both laterally andvertically for the proper delivery or receiving 'of the material to be handled.

My improvedattaclnnentis such that it can becoupledin operative position simply by properly positioning the same and dropping or lowering it underthe action of gravity into coupled relation with the power transmitting [mechanism of the truck, and conversely; that can be uncoupled simply'by picking it up or raising it from its operative position.

Theimproveddevice'is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein' like' characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring, to the drawings: y Fig. 1 'is a view'in side elevation, with: some parts broken away, showing the attachment applied to a truck;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a portion of the truck and its power delivery mechanism and the receiving portion of the attachment;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the conveyor attachment, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, illustrating a slightly difierent arrangement than that shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive; and

Fig. 7 is a detail, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing an extension coupling used in the structure illustrated in Fig. 6 and capable of use also in connection with the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive.

1 mafia. (01.198425) Referringfirst'to Figs; 1 to 5; inclusive, the numeral I0 indicatesthebody, the numeral H the frame, the numeralIZ the rear-wheels; and the numeral [3 the box or housing inthe transmission mechanism; The numeral indicates a jointed power take-01f shaft driven in the usual or any suitable way from the transmission mech anism'of the truck.

Rigidlysecured to the rear end of the truck frame II is a strong gear box or housing I5 into which the rear end of the power-take-ofi shaft M is extended and therein provided with abe'v'el pinion l6 that; meshes with abevel gear I11 This gear I! is secured o-n'or made a part of "alongu'pright sleeve l8 that is journaled in the top and bottom portions of the gear box l5. This' 'sjleeve or long hub portion of the gear l! is formedwith an axial socket-or passage l9 that is'an'gular incr'osssection. With this arrangement the. hub of gear I! is located at the rear'of thefframe' II and is exposed through the top of thejgea'r box l5.

The carrier attachment; which will operate either as an unloading orloadi device and which isnormally detachedfrom the truck, involves acarrierframe 20 .inthe spaced sidesof which are journaled an upper roller 21;, a lower rol1'er'22, and intermediate idle rollers 23. wide endless conveyor belt 24, that runs over the said rollers, is driven from the upperroller 2|. The frame 20 is preferably provided with side plates 25 that increase the holding capacity of the frame and keep the material confined on theblt, 2 The sides of the frame 20 are spaced and rigid- 1y connected by suitable means such as tie rods 26 shown in Fig. 4 and at their extreme upper ends the spaced members of said frame 20 are rigidly connected to a strong metallic yoke 21,

best shown in detail in Fig. 5 and also in Fig. 3.

Mounted on the yoke 21, at the transverse center thereof, is a bevel gear 28, the hub of which below the yoke 21, has a coupling shank 29 that is angular in cross-section and made to readily fit within the angular axial passage IQ of the sleevelike hub 18 of the gear H. The gear 28 meshes with a bevel gear 30 secured on a transverse shaft 3| journaled in the upturned prongs of the yoke 21. Shaft 3 I, near its ends, is provided with spur gears 32 that mesh with similar gears 33 on the projecting shaft or trunnions of conveyor driving roller 2|. Preferably, and as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the gears 28 and 30 are within a protecting casing 34 secured on the yoke 21.

To couple the conveyor attachment or socalled unloading device to the power device of the carrier can be adjusted both as to height and as to lateral position. With the exact arrange" ment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the lat"-" eral oscillatory movement of'the attachment will.

be somewhat limited because the yoke 21 will be below the opening in the rear end of box or body).

As a means for raising the yoke and oorrjefl sponding end of the frame 20, and conveyor belt 24, I provide an auxiliary or extension coupling suchas shown in Fig. ,'7 and indicated in said view and in Fig. 6 by the numeral 35. This coupling 35 is provided with a; depending angular stem or shank 29 that corresponds to the shank 29 and with the angular socket I9that corresponds to the socket or axial passage i9. Except for the application of this extension coupling 35,, the structure illustrated in Fig. 6 is the same as that previously described, and hence, corre-' spondingparts are indicated by the numerals previously applied thereto. In Fig. 6 the gear housing-- I5 is secured to the truck frame H at a pointa little higher up than in Figs. 1 and 2. With the arrangement shown in Fig. 6, the yoke 21 is brought to a point above the bottom of the truck body l0 so that the yoke may swing into the open end of the said body, thereby giving the said yoke 'such'freedom of oscillator-y movements ona vertical axis that thelframe 20 and belt 24 will be capable of horizontal oscillatory movements through 160 or more.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the'conveyor attachment is capable of being adjusted to various altitudes and to different lateral positions and that by the reversal of direction of rotation of power take-off shaft l4 through the customary means, the conveyor. belt 24 can be driven in either direction, andv hence, used both for loading and unloading. v

This improved attachment iscapable of being made in various different lengths and may be even made so light and of such dimensions that it can be manipulated by one man. It is',"as already indicated, very easyto lift the device and couple the same in operative position and it is obvious that it is also capable of being quickly detached when not in use or when the device is to be carried from one place to another with the truck. The unloading of coal and the delivery thereof to points reasonably distant from the truck is made an easy matter and one capable of being rapidly performed,

When the truck is one that has a dumping body, the load can be dumped and properly distributed on the conveyor andrapidly delivered to the point where it is to be received or stored. The device is equally serviceable for the delivery of various other materials, such as grain or sawdust. The yoke 21, in fact, constitutes an anchoring frame for the auxiliary conveyor and affords a very simple means for that purpose and for supportingthe transverse shaft.

Inaccordance with the statutes I have de- 'scribed a commercial embodiment of the invention, but it will be understood thatvarious alterations may be made within the scopeof the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

-WhatIclainris: I

The combination with a supporting structure provided with a projecting gear box, of a powerdriven sleeve-like gear mounted in said housing on a vertical axis and'havi'ng-an axial transversely angular socket, of a yoke Idetachably. and gravity seated on said gear box for la'teralswinging movements, said yoke having upturned. ends, a transverse shaft journaled I in uptur ned ends of saidyoke, a bevel gear 'journaled on the intermediate portion of said yoke'andmaving. a

depending angular shankfdetachably engageable in the socket of the gear on said gearbox, a bevel.

gear on the intermediate portion of said transverse shaft ineshingwith 'the bevel gear just noted,la conveyor frame having side bars pivotally connected to th'eupturned prongs of ,said

yoke by said transverse shaft, and a second transverse shaft journaled on the sidebars of said conveyor frame and having spur gears at its ends, spur gears on the. end of said first noted transverse shaft meshing with the" last noted spur gears, and a conveyor belt driven from said second noted transverse .shaft, and in which structure the said/loading attachment maybe removed simply'by lifting the same and may be 7, coupled for operation by a reversemovement dropping the above noted trunnion-equipped gear into the socket ofathe above noted socketequipped gear. v i .f SFAULDING' W. NELSON- 

